Healthcare

passed · Iowa · Senate May 15, 2025

SF 180: A bill for an act relating to the right to refuse certain medical services for reasons of conscience.

SF 180 establishes an individual's right to refuse certain medical services for reasons of conscience, including religious convictions. This right applies to medical services declared a federal countermeasure or given emergency use authorization by the FDA. The bill prohibits businesses, employers, healthcare providers, and government entities from denying employment or services, segregating, penalizing, or discriminating against individuals who refuse such services. Individuals negatively affected by a violation can bring a civil action for injunctive relief, declaratory judgment, and damages, including attorney fees.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects patient right to refuse FDA-emergency medical services without discrimination, aligning with patient rights in healthcare access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

Track

signed · Iowa · House May 6, 2025

HF 532: A bill for an act enacting the dietitian licensure compact.

This bill enacts the Dietitian Licensure Compact, an agreement among states to facilitate the interstate practice of dietetics. It directly affects licensed dietitians by allowing those licensed in a participating state to practice in other member states without needing a separate license in each. The key mechanism is a "compact privilege," a legal authorization equivalent to a license, granted to qualifying professionals. This aims to increase public access to dietetics services, reduce administrative burdens for licensees and states, and support relocating military families, while preserving each state's regulatory authority. A Compact Commission will be established to oversee the agreement and ensure uniform requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands access to dietetics services by enabling interstate practice, improving patient access to healthcare professionals.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · House May 6, 2025

HF 471: A bill for an act modifying provisions related to school concussion and brain injury policies.

This bill modifies Iowa's existing law concerning school concussion and brain injury policies. It specifically expands the definition of "licensed health care provider" for the purpose of clearing students to return to extracurricular interscholastic activities after experiencing a concussion or brain injury. Under this bill, a person who holds a doctorate in psychology with specialty training in neuropsychology or concussion management would be added to the list of professionals who can provide such clearance. This change directly affects students participating in school activities and the range of medical professionals involved in their return-to-play protocols.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands who can clear students to return to activities after concussion, protecting student health and ensuring safe participation in school programs.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands the definition of licensed healthcare providers to include neuropsychologists, improving access to specialized care for concussion management in schools.85% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · House May 6, 2025

HF 875: A bill for an act relating to health insurers’ credentialing process.

House File 875 modifies the credentialing process for health insurers and certain healthcare providers. The bill requires health insurers to respond to credentialing requests from physicians, advanced registered nurse practitioners, and physician assistants within 56 calendar days. If a health insurer denies a credentialing request, it must provide the applicant with a written reason for the denial. These changes aim to improve the transparency and efficiency of the process by which these medical professionals become authorized to provide services and receive payment through health insurance plans.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill improves healthcare access by streamlining credentialing processes and requiring timely responses from insurers, enhancing transparency and efficiency for medical professionals.85% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · House May 1, 2025

HF 919: A bill for an act relating to children’s specialty hospital designations for certain nonprofit organizations, and including effective date provisions.

House File 919 creates a new "specialty hospital" designation for certain nonprofit organizations in Iowa that were previously licensed nursing facilities. These hospitals must primarily serve individuals aged 30 and younger, with a high percentage of patients receiving Medicaid, and specialize in pediatric rehabilitation or complex medical/behavioral health needs. The bill directs state departments to grant qualifying entities a provisional general hospital license by July 1, 2025, enabling them to receive enhanced hospital-based reimbursement set at their average allowable per diem costs. It also allows for waivers from certain hospital facility requirements, construction standards, and exemptions from providing specific emergency, laboratory, or pathology services beyond what they currently offer. Furthermore, the bill permits the redesignation of nursing facility beds to specialty hospital beds and expansion up to 100 beds.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates new specialty hospital designation for pediatric rehabilitation and behavioral health, expanding healthcare access for children and strengthening nonprofit healthcare services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · House Apr 25, 2025

HF 547: A bill for an act enacting the respiratory care interstate compact.

This bill enacts the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact, allowing licensed respiratory therapists to practice in multiple states that join the compact. This directly affects respiratory therapists seeking to work across state lines and patients needing respiratory care in member states. Under the compact, a respiratory therapist holding an unencumbered license in their primary state of domicile can obtain a "compact privilege" to practice in other member states without needing a separate full license in each. The compact aims to increase public access to respiratory therapy services, ease administrative burdens for licensees, and address workforce shortages. It also establishes a commission to administer the compact and maintain a data system for licensee information, while preserving each state's authority to regulate the practice of respiratory therapy within its borders.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands access to respiratory care by allowing therapists to practice across state lines, improving patient access to healthcare services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · Senate Apr 18, 2025

SF 397: A bill for an act relating to assaults, including assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations and inmate assaults on department of corrections employees, and providing penalties.

This bill increases penalties for individuals who commit assaults against specific professionals, including peace officers, correctional staff, healthcare providers, firefighters, and certain state employees. It upgrades assaults intended to inflict serious injury or involving a dangerous weapon from a Class D to a Class C felony. Additionally, assaults causing bodily injury or mental illness against these professionals are elevated from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony. Other assaults, such as those causing contact with saliva, are reclassified from a serious to an aggravated misdemeanor, and carry a mandatory minimum 7-day jail sentence that cannot be suspended.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for assaults on law enforcement and correctional staff, strengthening protections for criminal justice workers.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill strengthens protections for healthcare providers by increasing penalties for assaults against them, thereby safeguarding medical professionals.85% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · House Apr 18, 2025

HF 309: A bill for an act relating to the review by the department of inspections, appeals, and licensing of certain deficient practices by nursing facilities.

House File 309 relates to the process by which the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing reviews nursing facilities. Specifically, the bill addresses how the department evaluates certain deficient practices identified within these facilities. It modifies the existing framework for DIAL's review of these practices, affecting both the department's oversight responsibilities and the operational procedures of nursing facilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill modifies DIAL's review process for nursing facility deficiencies, enhancing oversight of healthcare facility standards to address deficiencies.80% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · Iowa · Senate Mar 28, 2025

SF 42: A bill for an act modifying the costs eligible for emergency medical services fund expenditures, and including effective date provisions. Effective date: 03/28/2025.

This bill modifies the types of costs that counties can pay for using their local emergency medical services (EMS) trust funds. It expands the eligible expenditures to specifically include the salaries and wages of emergency medical care providers who deliver EMS. This change would allow counties that have established these voter-approved funds to use them to cover personnel costs for their EMS staff, directly affecting both the counties and their emergency medical care providers.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands eligible expenditures for EMS trust funds to include provider salaries, increasing funding for essential public safety services.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands eligible EMS fund expenditures to include provider salaries, directly increasing funding for emergency medical services personnel.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent